There were a few bright Super Bowl spots this year, especially from brands that didn’t overcomplicate their ideas. The Claude ads were great. The idea was clear. The casting and execution were perfect. What I loved most was the art direction. It felt completely distinct from ChatGPT and totally true to their interface and brand world. They feel more human than the robotic Chat campaigns. It knew exactly what it was.
Kendall Jenner Fanatics’ spot was smart in a different way. It went viral because it’s Kendall. But it was also beautifully made. The script was simple and easy to track. Incredibly polished. What really impressed me was the rollout. They launched it early, built press, did the Jimmy Kimmel follow-ups, and by the time it aired during the game, it felt like a callback instead of a debut. It turned one expensive media moment into a multi-week cultural conversation. Bigger impact, less gambling on a single night.
Manscaped made me smile. The ballad is silly and easy to follow. The concept didn’t need a celebrity crutch. An actual concept that didn’t need a celebrity. And I especially loved the BTS of the talent being difficult on set.
Liquid Death is always lovely to me. Weird. Instantly recognizable. Even when the idea itself isn’t revolutionary, their world-building does the heavy lifting. It’s perfect for the the half drunk/half watching Super Bowl crowd – exploding heads gets eye balls.
Some spots missed the mark.
The Squarespace film with Emma Stone was visually stunning. Truly, absolutely gorgeous. But conceptually, the call to action left me confused. From what I understand, Squarespace doesn’t help you secure domains that are already taken. I get the double meaning, but if my domain is unavailable, what then? That gap felt strange for a brand that is usually positioned as the solution. It was beautiful, and maybe that’s good enough. I’m still thinking about it.
The State Farm / Halfway There and Living on a Prayer mashup had a fun core idea but it became layered to the point of overload. Big concept. Random celebrities. A full song. It was hat on hat on hat. When everything is loud, nothing stands out. And in a loud Super Bowl watch party, your asking a lot of your audience to follow all of that. Feels risky for such an expensive buy.
Coinbase started strong. The karaoke vibe felt fresh and promising. It hinted at a smart use of the medium, maybe even another floating QR moment. But it never built. It plateaued.
Beyond the obvious trends like GLP-1s, AI, outdated celebrity overload, and two butt spots, there were a lot of song-driven ads. Don’t get me wrong I love a ballad. Ragu’s Long Day of Childhood is one of my favorite ads ever. But at a crowded Super Bowl party, where your audience is half listening, pouring drinks, you’re asking a lot of your audience to follow your joke. And if the idea depends on catching every lyric…that’s a risky bet for an 8 million dollar buy. I was craving….subtitles…I feel awful admitting that but it was that hard to follow.
Overall, Bad Bunny was the star of the night. I don’t think most people walked away talking about any of the ads. Brands say they want to be part of culture. But most aren’t actually taking risks that would put them there. I understand why. The climate is extremely sensitive and complicated. Everyone is afraid of being dragged. But the bar right now is low. That’s the opportunity. You don’t have to be outrageous. You don’t have to be controversial. You don’t have to reinvent advertising.
You just have to do something slightly different. Something clear. Something intentional. That’s enough to stand out.
Mia Nogueira Hearne is an Associate Creative Director and Art Director at TDA_Boulder.
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